Thresher

September 02, 2011 at 6:23am

The only thing that keeps a console from being able to replicate the experience of a PC is that Microsoft will not allow keyboards and mice as controllers for XBox games.  Sony sort of does.

There is nothing stopping MS and Sony from allowing keyboard+mouse control, and if that happened, then PC gaming would truly be hurt.

bpstone

September 02, 2011 at 4:15am

At the moment developers are limited to an outdated API with consoles. Some are aiming toward PC hardware again as it continues to become more complex with modern APIs. The next lineup of consoles will probably start being released in 2012-2014 and grab their attention back in that direction again. Until game piracy can be greatly reduced without it being inconvenient to their customers, PC gaming isn't going to explode onto the gaming scene anytime soon. You'll still see plenty of titles for it nonetheless.

Gezzer

September 02, 2011 at 2:05am

Sometimes the whole "the PC is dieing", "tablets are the next big thing", "social gaming is the new money maker" and rhetoric of this nature reminds me of the wizard of Oz. You know, the guy trying to make everyone see him as great and wise when really it was all a front.

Is the market changing? Of course. Are there more platforms to splinter the market? Well duh. The amount of times PCs in general and gaming on PCs in particular have been written off is mind boggling when you consider how often it's come true.

I think all these nay sayers think they can't be wrong all the time. But the way I see it every market will expand and contract over time, even reinvent it's self once or twice. So will PC gaming change? Sure. Will it die? Never. A PC is just too versatile not too be able to weather any storm coming, so of course we'll see a rebound in the PC market after a slump.

I'd be really surprised if the gaming PC was always the dominate platform. Just like how surprised I'd be if it really did die off. Neither one will ever happen.

Holly Golightly

September 02, 2011 at 12:58am

I am glad to see PC gaming on the rise. 

Consoles have become that new middle ground. Not enough graphical power to wow anybody, not cool enough like a tablet. Basically... Consoles are like laptops... This useless medium. Why would anybody want to be caught with an outdated piece of hardware, when you can get better stuff for a competitive price or performance that can wow the hell out of everybody. There is just no point in staying at that middle ground.

Plus, consoles are known to get Red Rings (Xbox360) Yellow Lights (PS3) and Black Screens (DS) of death. Therefore you got to get a second one... This makes the PC Gaming platform offer more bang for your buck. The complexity of PCs allows us the luxury to play videogames that date as far back as the DOS era, to the upcoming Windows 8 era. Now that is quality we can all trust. Lets not forget all of the emulators of classic consoles available at our hands. Good times I must say.

So I do agree, PC gaming is on the rise due to this freedom, power, and yes, complexity. Thank goodness!

Vernak

September 01, 2011 at 11:36pm

Captain Palette Swap talking about complexity?  Really?  The PC Gamer interviewer should have rolled up their own magazine and smacked Ghostcrawler upside the head with it.

SeverianSilk

September 01, 2011 at 10:53pm

This is sort of what I've been on about the whole time. There's a market for PCs out there and it's pretty significant. Companies, such as Microsoft and others, need to stop trying to corner every bit of market that becomes the latest fad (ahem... tablets... ahem) and focuse on their core audience. They'll end up being much more successfull if they continue to focus on what they're good at and who their biggest supporters are instead of spreading themselves out too thin with things they're not meant to do. There's a PC market out there, and if you focus on it (if you're already a giant in that industry) you'll be much better off than focusing on something you're not (i.e. HP pulling out because of the iPad). The PC market is alive and well, and if that's your forte, stick to it. Stop chasing fads. Worst business decision ever.

/rant

TheElite1x721987

September 01, 2011 at 8:54pm

sadly, I agree. The current console hardware is losing steam at this point (from a technological standpoint). It's at this time that lots of gamers will flock back to PC as the current consoles now have a hard time "wowing" people anymore. In a couple years time when all the next gen consoles are released we will probably see things sink right back to the way they were. I don't want that to happen, but we all know it will.

Arclite

September 01, 2011 at 8:36pm

It could also do with the fact that current console hardware is six years old...